The diary of a white girl in Arabia

Sharing a Little Secret

Water in the shiny desert is plentiful, to be true, but it is also very hard on the skin and hair because it is desalinated and heavy with minerals. Newcomers and long-time residents alike complain about the amount of hair loss and thinning that is happening because of the harsh water. Hair fall rescue is a common remedy claim on shampoo products, one that I had never encountered before arriving here. For some of us with skin of the sensitive nature, the water can also cause havoc to our largest organ. Did you know that skin is your largest organ? It is. And my largest organ is very sensitive. Since moving here, I have been plagued with many maladies. My eyes had been wrought with a rash of some sort that left me looking rather frightening. I had skin rashes around my mouth, and even suffered from ring worm (which isn’t really a worm, but a fungal infection on the skin) a few times. Trips to the doctor and dermatologist were effective at first, but with the constant reoccurrences, I was hesitant to hand over my life savings again and again. Everywhere I went, salespeople would insult my skin in order to make a sale. ‘Ohh… your skin is so bad. We have a cream/serum/skin care line for that.’ Yes, thank you for your unsolicited opinion. Let me give you my money after you’ve made me feel like crap about myself.

When I felt like all hope was lost, my neighbour let me in on a secret. Indian girls use rose water on their faces as a toner. Looking down the barrel of another ineffective dermatologist/skin regime gun, I decided that it couldn’t hurt to try out this tip. It was a lot more affordable than the alternative. I spent a whole 10 AED on a bottle of rose water and began my new routine. After each shower, I rinsed off my face with filtered water, then sprayed my face with the rose water and dabbed dry. Within a week, I was seeing noticeable results. Two weeks later, my skin was clear, even the patchy redness had disappeared! I am absolutely delighted. No longer do I feel embarrassed walking around without makeup on. Nor am I harassed by overzealous, judgy-mcjudgerson salespeople trying to meet their sales quotas. I’m equally delighted by the low price tag. Ten dirhams is a far cry from the 300+ I was facing with dermatologist/skin care regime bills.

I’m so glad you were able to find something that worked that also didn’t break the bank. I’ve been trying all sorts of DIY tricks for my skin lately. Everything from epsom salts to baking soda to apple cider vinegar. I’ve had a bit of success but I think that my skin just hates me right now. I might have to look into your rose water solution!